EFFECTS OF SOIL AMENDMENT WITH POULTRY LITTER ON SOIL-DWELLING MITES (ORIBATIDA) AND SPRINGTAILS (COLLEMBOLA) IN LIYETU, ONDO, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA.

Abstract

The effects of poultry litter application on soil microarthropods were investigated on a 319 m² plot of land in the Agricultural Farm of the Wesley University of Science and Technology in Liyetu, Ondo, in southwestern Nigeria. In 2010, sampling of soil microarthropods was carried out biweekly for 4 months in the plot before incorporating poultry litter. In 2011, the plot was divided into 10 equal subplots separated from one another by a 1m strip. Dry poultry litter (20kg) was introduced and mixed thoroughly with the surface soil (0-7.5cm) of 5 alternate subplots while the untreated subplots served as control. Four soil samples were taken randomly and monthly thereafter to monitor the microarthropod populations in the treated and control subplots on a temporal scale. Altogether, 17 species of oribatid mites, four families of gamasid mites, three families of actinedid mites and 10 genera of springtails were identified in the experimental plots before and after the application of poultry litter. The juveniles of detritivorous, coprophagous and mycophagous mites and springtails increased in numbers in response to poultry litter application. This increase led to an increase in their adult populations the following year as observed in the post-treatment results. The populations of the predatory gamasid and actinedid mites did not respond in any way to poultry litter application. These findings confirm that the beneficial effect of soil amendment with poultry litter on detritivorous, coprophagous and mycophagous soil dwelling mites and springtails may not be noticeable until the year following application.